Blood Wars
by Sissa Goose
Summary: The second war against Voldemort has begun. Remus Lupin, while recruiting members for The Order of the Phoenix discovers aid in the form of Audrey Belmont, an old friend and vampire who is more than willing to dedicate her life to the fight.
1. Fond Memories

**A/N: **Vampires have been mentioned briefly in Harry Potter, but not really focused upon.

I figured vampires in the Wizarding World would have as many discriminatory problems as werewolves, so Remus and our main character would make great friends, understanding each other.

It's not said in this chapter , but at this point in time, Remus would be about 18 years old.

Our main character, a cool 414. (Remus born in 1960; Audrey born in 1564.)

Let me know if you like the idea, and I'll write some more.

___________________________________________

_August 1978_

"Level Four. Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."

Remus glanced up from his copy of The Daily Prophet and sighed.

'_Let's get this over with.'_

As the lift doors rattled open, he tucked the paper under his arm and hurried out into the untidy corridor. Piled sheets of parchment were thrown haphazardly on the floor and strips of wallpaper had been clawed angrily off of the walls.

With the exception of several paper airplanes swooping overhead, he was completely alone.

He turned a corner and walked through a pair of heavy oak doors, each labeled "Werewolf Support Services."

As he swung open the doors, the unrecognizable stench of wet dog hit his nostrils, making him cringe.

"All right, Remus?" a voice behind him mumbled.

He turned around to meet a wrinkled old face smiling down on him.

"Morning Ravi. Just taking in the lovely aroma." he winked.

Ravi let out a small chuckle and beckoned Remus to follow him down the hall.

He showed him through a second set of oak doors, into another passage and into a small dingy office.

"Take a seat, Lupin." said Ravi, walking casually behind a beat up desk, to a set of bookcases pushed up against the wall. He scanned the shelves, brushing his fingers across hundreds of disarranged files, until he came to rest on a particularly bulky folder.

Remus, meanwhile, squeezed himself into a tiny chair at the foot of the desk and began to drum his fingers on his thigh, already impatient to leave.

"Here we are." Ravi muttered to himself, leaning up against the cabinet.

Remus' eyes shifted anxiously around the room, as Ravi rambled various dates written on the inside of the file.

"...And it seems you haven't updated us for about three months now. Any reason behind that?"

"I've been busy." Remus mumbled apologetically. "Getting to grips with the real world after school and all."

Ravi nodded, understanding.

"How is that going? Living arrangements under control and all? Any job offers?"

Remus sighed. It isn't particularly easy to blend into a normal career with a vicious case of lycanthropy rumbling through your system.

"Not exactly, no. But I've been living with my mate Sirius for a while now, until I get my own place."

"And how was your last cycle?" Ravi asked, not looking up from the folder.

Remus clicked his tongue in irritation. "As good as it can be, I guess."

"Better since you've raised your intake of Wolfsbane?"

"Sure."

Ravi lifted his head up and sighed. "And the pain?"

"As lovely as ever."

Ravi pulled out another small chair from behind the desk and took a seat.

"Alright. I'll let you go, Remus. But I want an owl from you telling me of any jobs you are considering. I'll put in a good word for you."

"Thanks Rav." Remus unjammed himself from the chair and rushed out of the room.

'_What an utter waste of time.' _Remus thought to himself, jabbing impatiently at the down button to the lift. The elevator clattered into view and he hurried inside.

It was ludicrous, forcing werewolves to come down to the Ministry each month to check in on their condition._ 'As if we didn't feel miserable enough, we have to recap our problems.'_

But Ravi knew Remus enough to take it easy on him, to just ask a few basic questions and leave it at that.

The gate of the lift was just about to close shut until a petite hand thrust itself underneath it and flung it back up again.

A slender, pale witch hurled herself into the compartment, slamming the gate down with a crash.

"Hmph." He heard her growl and she stamped her foot angrily on the ground.

Remus dared not look at her, afraid she'd begin to go off on some sort of rant.

She did anyway.

"Ha! Non-wizard-part-human, can you believe that bollocks?!"

He glanced over at her, a confused grin spread across his face. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry?"

She swung her head over to look at him and he finally caught a glimpse of her eyes.

They were an intense green that seemed to burn like flame. They looked even more ominous against her pallid skin, which seemed almost like marble in the light.

"Vampires. Non-wizards. Complete bollocks. Non wizard, let me tell you. I could hex half of the Wizengamot from here to Sunday and they wouldn't know what hit them!"

Remus could feel his mouth hanging agape, but he couldn't seem to close it.

His eyes moved slowly across her face, her short brown hair tickling over her ears, little waves that barely touched the edge of her collar.

"Vampire?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yeah, you know." She lifted her top lip enough to expose two large fangs brushing the top of her tongue.

Remus could only nod. He'd never seen a proper vampire before, although he was well aware of their existence in the wizarding world. It was true they weren't really considered wizards, but wild beasts, like werewolves, that usually only resided in ominous locations like The Forbidden Forest.

"It's absurd," she continued, her arms crossed in front of her. "I can perform magic just as well as any of them. I was practicing spells before their _grandparents_ were born!"

She let out a deep breath and lowered her arms. Turning back to face the front gate of the lift, she let out a small laugh.

"Sorry about that. I had to get it out of my system."

"It's alright." said Remus, grinning. "I know what it's like to be discriminated against."

At that, she spun back towards him again, confused.

"Werewolf." he muttered, pointing at his chest. Her eyes lit up like torches.

"Really?! That's amazing."

A powerful emotion had risen in his chest as she looked up excitedly at him. No one had ever taken a genuine interest in his condition without an obvious fear lurking behind their eyes. She was dangerous too, and she understood.

"Does it hurt?"

There was a sudden silence in the lift as he searched anxiously in her eyes, trying to find an honest answer to her question.

"Sometimes."

She searched down at her feet and nodded slowly, understanding.

"Yeah, me too."

"The Atrium."

The cool female voice erupted in the lift, startling both of them.

The doors slid open and they stepped out into a bustling Atrium. Wizards poured out of the fireplaces along the walls and were lining up to get past Eric, the security guard and onto the elevator.

Remus walked at a brisk pace with the young vampire, eager to keep up.

As they passed the golden fountain, her eyes shot up to him and seemed to smile.

"What's your name, werewolf?"

His tongue seemed to flop around lazily in his mouth, as if she had put him under some sort of trance.

"Remus."

She giggled and her hand shot up and wrapped around his own.

"Audrey."

It was his turn to be bold and he could feel his forehead begin to sweat nervously.

"Well Miss Audrey, how would like to join me for a bite to eat?"

As soon as the words issued from his mouth, his eyes grew wide in panic.

"That...that is...if you...eat...food."

At this, she let out a roaring laugh.

"For you, doll. I would."

She laced her arm into his and let him out into the clouded streets of London.


	2. The Moon Waxing

**A/N: **Alright, the next chapter! Not much has really changed from the main plot of the original story, and I'll desperately try to keep it that way throughout the whole fic. All of the dates and times the characters go through are chronologically correct in the series.

Basically other than writing to form a relationship between Audrey and Remus, this fic is mainly going to describe how much a life can be destroyed with Voldemort around. (You'll see later.)

If you like it, make me happy and write a review or subscribe. It makes me very happy when you do! I'll write more soon.

_____________________________________

_Seventeen years later. _

_**The moon wouldn't stop following him, no matter how fast he ran. **_

_**The trees shot past him like frozen bodies, glowing in a haunting blue light. **_

'_**Faster. I have to go faster.' he screamed to himself. He could feel his body already begin changing, his footsteps starting to dig deeper into the forest floor, his claws shredding the thick roots underneath him. He could hear himself howling in pain as blood began pouring from his mouth. 'I have to get away. Have to run.' Soon, his breathing was pulsing out of him in deep gasps, the course fur matted on his face blinding him as he ran. **_

_**He tripped on a massive root and collapsed to the ground. Now the moon had caught up to him, burning his skin, making it bubble and blister. He opened his mouth open to scream, but his voice had left him ages ago, replaced by a deep, sinister howl. **_

Remus shot out of the tangled bed sheets, his body racked with a stinging sweat.

His eyes seemed to be crossed as they searched to make out something recognizable in the darkness.

_Calm yourself, Remus. It was just another nightmare. Like always. _

He let out a shaking breath and wiped the beads of perspiration off of his forehead.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from underneath the door, he caught sight of the puckered face of Elphias Doge across the room, lying on a small cot similar to his own.

He lay sprawled out on his back, snoring.

Taking a deep breath, Remus crossed the room and stepped out onto the landing, closing the door softly behind him. He stumbled down the hallway, every once in a while glancing at the sleeping pictures on the wall. _'Do portraits have nightmares too, I wonder?'_

He made his way down the main staircase and through the dining room and into the basement kitchen. It certainly wasn't a place to comfort yourself after being jolted out of bed by bad dreams. The rough stone walls made Remus feel as if he was trapped in some sort of dungeon, the doxy-filled curtains snarling at him as he brushed past.

He reached a small fireplace at the far end of the room and muttered an _"Incendio". _

The flames danced happily from the tip of his wand and onto the awaiting logs, lighting the room with a yellow glow.

"Up for a midnight snack are we, Remus?"

Remus jumped several feet in the air at the voice and searched to the long wooden table in the center of the room, where a nonchalant Sirius Black sat, his hands cupped around a small brown mug.

"For Merlin's sake, Sirius." Remus huffed, his hand clutched at his heart.

Sirius let out a chuckle and lifted the mug to his lips, sipping loudly.

Remus, when he recovered from his surprise attack, made his way over to the table and pulled out a chair across from Sirius.

"Is it normal behavior for you to sit in a pitch black room drinking mead?"

Sirius straightened himself up and conjured himself another mug, handing his original cup to Remus, who accepted it gratefully. The sweet liquid trickled down his throat, warming him instantly.

"So what are you doing lurking the halls at this hour, Remus? Off for a little late night hanky- panky with old Mrs. Black?" He filled his new glass to the rim and began sipping earnestly.

Remus let out a small chuckle and nodded. "You know me, I love older women, even if they won't stop screaming in your ear."

Sirius snickered and finished off his drink with one large gulp.

"Another nightmare?" he asked, almost in a whisper, not looking up from his cup.

Remus nodded slowly. "The third just this week."

Sirius knew his friend all too well when it came near his time of the month. The increasingly agitated state, the occasional spasm of pain that shot down his spine, making his teeth clench, and the nightmares. They all began at least a week before the moon rose, full and pompous in the sky, sending Remus into hiding.

He could see the agony in his eyes even now, glowing in the darkness around them.

Remus set down his mug and began fumbling with the cuff of his nightshirt.

"Harry's birthday was today, wasn't it?" he asked, hopeful to change the subject.

At this, Sirius' eyes lit up and a spirited grin slapped itself across his face.

"Yeah! Can you believe it? Fifteen years its been."

Remus couldn't have been happier for Sirius, now that he was actually able to fulfill his duties as godfather to Harry, even if he was limited to the confines of Grimmauld Place. Every time he spoke of the boy, a strong sense of pride seemed to shine off of him, his smile beaming.

He wouldn't be able to spend much time with him as he was to return to Hogwarts in September, but it made the moments they were together all the more special.

Remus picked up his cup and swallowed the remainder of the mead and he could feel his head begin to buzz slightly.

"Well, I should head back to bed." he yawned, glancing over to Sirius.

He nodded, understanding. "The order meeting is tomorrow, wouldn't want them to have to look upon our sorry, sluggish faces."

Lupin trudged back up the stairs, his eyes peering out at the moon, beaming cheerfully out upon the darkened streets outside. '_I should be heading back to bed now. Like Sirius said, no one wants to see a cranky, sluggish Lupin at the meeting tomorrow.'_

But he knew it wasn't that easy, that he wouldn't get back to sleep that night.

'_How peaceful the moon looks. How uncaring.'_

But he knew better. Knew its dark side, knew it hated him.

No, there would be no going to sleep now.

_________________________________________

"Alright, settle down everyone."

Remus looked up at Arthur, his hands raised to the others seated at the wooden table around him.

On his right sat an unamused Moody, his magical eye searching around the room trying desperately to catch a glimpse of the food Molly was preparing behind them.

"Dedalus, no smoking in the house please. I've told Mundungus hundreds of times, and now you are doing it. " Arthur called to the unshaven wizard at the end of the table. He mimed taking a pipe from his mouth and nodded to Diggle.

"Sorry about that." he mumbled apologetically, the pipe disappearing into his pocket.

Arthur smiled thankfully and raised his eyes back to the rest of the Order.

"Now, down to business."

With each passing minute of Arthur and the others discussing various actions of the Ministry, the views of goblins on the war and which side they would ultimately join and the next steps of Voldemort, Remus could feel his eyes begin to grow heavy and every once in a while a yawn would clog itself in his throat.

Judging by the looks of Sirius, who was equally heavy-lidded, he hadn't taken his own advice and fallen asleep either. Tonks began to prod his shoulders to keep him from dozing to which he would respond with an angered swat to her hand.

"...Now, Severus said he was unable to attend this meeting, but he will come to the one in the next few days."

Severus Snape. What a git.

But, as he was able to offer personal information directly from Voldemort himself, he was a valuable asset to the Order.

"Also another important item,' Arthur hummed, glancing around the room. "We have a new recruit to the Order, on request from Dumbledore himself. He has claimed her ultimate loyalty during the many years he has known her and that her condition will give us many advantages in fighting the Death Eaters."

At this, he gestured to the kitchen's door frame where a small shadow of a girl stood, her eyes wide with delight.

Upon looking at her face, Lupin's eyes swelled and he could feel his face begin to get hot.

Wasn't that?

"Audrey." he cried aloud, unable to contain his surprise. He couldn't help himself.

The surprised eyes of everyone at the table shot to him and Sirius let out a loud roar.

She looked the same. EXACTLY the same as when he had first met her at the Ministry seventeen years ago.

Not a hair out of place. Even her clothes seemed identical. That same joyous smile erupting from her eyes.

"Hello Remus." she cooed, her face going a bit pink with embarrassment.

Arthur looked eagerly from her to Remus, a confused smile curling his lips.

"Have you two...met...before?" he asked.

Audrey searched Remus' eyes intently, never blinking.

"Yes we have. A long time ago."

Arthur slapped his hand across Audrey's back, leading her to an empty seat.

"Well, welcome to the Order, Miss Belmont."

While Arthur returned to the front of the kitchen to resume discussion, Remus kept his eyes on Audrey. It was as if she had been preserved, not changing for nearly two decades.

Of course, her vampirism would assure her of never-changing youth, but it was a sharp contrast against his own face, now hardened and wrinkled with his own condition.

Sirius leaned across the table and snapped Remus out of his reverie.

"Moony, would you close your mouth? You are drooling like some sort of animal."

Sirius chuckled at his own joke and pulled himself back into his chair.

"That'll be enough Sirius." said Arthur firmly. He cleared his throat to begin speaking again when suddenly a disheveled Mundungus Fletcher burst through the doorway, his ginger hair sat bunched in front of his eyes.

"We have a situation!" he shouted causing Molly to drop her cooking to the floor.

"Curse you, Mundungus. It was nearly..." He cut her off before she could argue any more.

"Dumbledore's...on his way to the Ministry.' he huffed between heaving breaths, "Harry...cast illegal...Patronus charm....Dementors..."

At this, several sitting at the table leaped from their chairs, shouting.

Arthur removed his wand from his sleeve and raised his arms to quiet everyone.

"Okay. I'll head over to the Ministry to figure out what is going on. Sirius, write to Harry immediately telling him not to leave the house. Under any circumstances. The rest of you..."

He looked hurriedly over the group. "The rest of you, get Harry."


	3. Flame and Flight

**A/N: **Okay, another chapter. Thanks all of you for subscribing, it really means alot to me. (Partially due to the fact that I think I'm a horrid writer, but anyway...)

Uh, yeah...some action from the early chapters of OOTP and some past love action between Remus and Audrey, which I'll go over in more detail later.

Oh, and Tonks _hates_ Audrey, btw. I mean, if you're crush belonged to a vampire and she came back, you'd be mad at her too.

_______________________________

It was completely dark outside by the time they had reached the mead. Hidden behind the overgrown bushes in the children's playground, it was an excellent place to meet up or travel from, swiftly and quietly. The street lamps couldn't reach the withering grass of the field, leaving the wizards safely covered in shadows. Audrey followed the dark figures crossing the grass and wondered where exactly she was being led. It was impossible for a vampire to fear the dark, but she could still feel a little chill climbing up her back. There were no stars out tonight, little jewels perched delicately in the net of black above. Only the faint whisper of the moon stood out shyly from behind a cloud.

'_Almost full.' _She glanced over to her right where the werewolf was walking briskly alongside of her. A muscle was twitching in his jaw. Could he be feeling the sickness already washing over him, days before the moon was even full?

He noticed her staring over at him and shot her a nervous grin.

They turned right down a narrow dirt path, leading into the deserted field. Their footsteps were muffled by decades of yellowed weeds underneath their feet, the vines tangling over her ankles, making her stumble.

"Alright, here we go."

Audrey peered over Remus' shoulder, shaking her head vigorously in dissatisfaction.

"What's the problem?" Remus asked, twisting his head in order to get a better look at her.

The others had already begun to mount their brooms silently in the darkness, the cool night air humming past them as they pulled their robes tightly around them so as they wouldn't flap noisily during flight. No one had noticed Audrey slowly stepping back a few paces, wondering whether she could have just gone along with Mr. Weasley instead.

Remus clutched the arm of her jacket and pulled her back over.

"What's the matter? Do you not like flying?"

She groaned a bit as she felt herself being guided by him back over to the broom, her mouth open in silent protest, her eyes screwed up in a strained expression as though she were struggling to remember something crucial she had to do.

"Well, it's not that I don't like it..." she began. She could feel her heels digging into the soft earth, trying to pry herself out of his hands.

"It's...uh...just that...I...don't care for it."

He let out a soft chuckle and reached down to grab the broomstick off of the ground.

"There's not really anything to be afraid of. It's one of the safest means of transportation we could use."

"But, wouldn't it be more convenient to Apparate there instead?"

Tonks, who had been strapping a harness to the back of her broom, let out a howling laugh.

"And be splinched halfway to Thursday?"

Audrey peered up at the young witch and was returned a savage glare, her eyes burning holes through her. She hadn't expected such a harsh answer and found she didn't have the will to look back up at her.

"Don't worry, my dear," Remus mumbled, pulling her chin up, forcing her eyes to meet his own.

"You'll be riding with me."

She swung her right leg over the broom and gripped onto Remus' waist tightly.

"Alright, let's go!" said Moody loudly. At that moment Audrey had almost forgotten how to breathe.

Remus kicked off hard from the ground. Audrey could hear the sounds of the city racing past them but she refused to open her eyes. A nauseous wave crashed over her and made her head spin like a top. She could hear the squeals of delight echoing from around her, the other brooms whooshing furiously past her. She buried her face into the warm torso in front of her, her eyes watering from the chill surging through her.

Buried in the snug folds of a sweater, she didn't seem so sick. The light smell of pachouli surged around her nose, making it tingle. Her head rose and fell with the hurried, excited breaths coursing through his lungs, that same crisp, icy air that was hissing in her ears.

"Bearing north!" she heard Moody shout.

As the broom shifted in direction, Audrey loosened her grip on Remus; her hands becoming numb. Feeling her grasp weaken, he shot a free hand behind his back and searched for her own hand. She settled her hand in his and squeezed.

"Starting decent!" Moody yelled across the sky.

She could feel Remus plunging the broom into a dive. Audrey felt her stomach in her throat and let out a shrill scream to unclog it from her windpipe.

She could now hear buildings whooshing past and dared to open her eyes a peek.

The ground looked as if it were meeting her upside down. Chimneys crossed her eyes as they zoomed past and then spun back over her shoulder.

"Here we are." Remus called behind him and touched down on solid ground.

Feeling earth underneath her feet was one of the single best experiences of her life after that flight and she vowed at that second never to fly on a broomstick as long as she lived.

She and the others dismounted outside of a rather square house in what seemed to be an ordinarily quiet neighborhood street.

"Keep on your guards, everyone,' Moody whispered loudly around the lawn. "Those dementors could still be lurking about, if there were any in the first place."

They made their way across the front yard, Kingsley stepping quite ungraciously over several flowering plants lined along the garden wall.

Remus withdrew his wand from the inside of his sleeve and tapped it lightly against the doorknob. It opened with a squeak and they barreled silently into the house.

Audrey could hear distant rumbles throughout the house as if it were talking to them.

She couldn't help but feeling an air of unhappiness about the house, as if she could smell it in the air. The melancholy was there, printed on the walls as clearly as the dull pink flowers stamped on the hallway paper. It was hardly a place of living, anyway. It was too clean, she could taste the artificial pine cleaner fragrance in the air, coating her tongue.

Suddenly, a huge crash sounded from behind her, sending shattered bits of glass flying across the linoleum floor. Everyone, their eyes wide with horror, shot back to see Tonks sitting rather unlady-like, her legs spread wide on the floor.

"For Merlin's sake, Tonks!" Moody growled out at her, his wand pointed at her head.

"Sorry!" she mumbled, her hair changing from a fiery pink to a rather meek grey.

"Well, come on," Moody continued, slinking into the hallway, "I'm sure Harry is aware we are here now."

Audrey let out a stifled giggle and put her hand out for Tonks to grab onto. But instead of grabbing on, she abruptly pushed it away and helped herself back onto her feet, glaring spitefully at her as she pushed past her and joined the others.

'_Well, that's a great way to start your new position with the Order, Audrey. Let's see how many will end up loathing your existence by the end of the night. You've already got one._

_Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to break your own rules and bite her, just the once. It wouldn't even hurt too much, I mean...'_

Audrey's train of thought was cut short as she bumped into the back of Remus. He and the others, who had all paused in the hallway were looking up the stairs, shielding their eyes from a rather bright light emerging from a doorway at the top of the staircase.

"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," Moody barked out at the light.

"Professor Moody?"

________________________________

The night had gone fairly smoothly after that. They had rescued Harry from his prior confinement, and after another vomit-inducing ride on the back of Remus' broom, made it back fairly safely to Grimmauld Place.

She remembered fondly the look on Harry's face as he stepped into the hall of the house. A certain mix of excitement, fear and delirium. And his face when he saw Sirius again.

Oh! How those emerald eyes sparkled, seemed to shine in the dim candlelight of the kitchen.

Audrey sat, coffee mug in hand, searching deep into the fire for the better part of an hour, thinking over the night's events. Everyone had been fed, the long, black burn from the bewitched stew cauldron which had been branded on the dining table had been cleaned away and everyone had since been sent off to bed, some in a more angered state than others.

Her mind flashed briefly to Molly Weasley, who had stood, trembling in the doorway listening to Sirius divulge information of Voldemort to Harry and the others, sending her into a rage.

"Rather interesting night, eh?"

She glanced over to the couch beside her, where Remus had now settled down, breaking off a bar of chocolate and handing it over to her.

"No thanks." she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't eat very much, remember?"

He withdrew the piece of chocolate and began nibbling on it himself, settling back into the cushions. "From what I remember, you had quite the appetite."

She placed her face over the rim of the mug, letting the steam work its way over her skin.

"That was a long time ago, Remus."

He nodded, understanding. "It was. Nearly seventeen years now."

At that, he leaned over towards her, causing her to nearly spill her tea. His eyes searched longingly into her own, looking almost sorrowful.

"What happened to us, Audrey?" he mumbled, the chocolate beginning to melt in between his fingers.

She sighed and returned the longing gaze, reaching out to touch his arm.

"Before I met you," she began, trying to choose her words carefully, "I was determined never to get involved with anyone. Wizard, muggle, werewolf, the like."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Remus.

"But I did meet you and I was...", she paused, searching the air for the right word.

"I was...bewitched by you." She let out a small giggle and he flashed a quick grin. But as soon as it had come, it had been transformed back into a frown.

"I couldn't help myself. I thought it would have worked, you being a werewolf. You would have had some..._inkling _of physical and emotional pain in your life, just as much as I have had and you would have understood. Understood what it's like to be hated, to be feared."

At this, her lip began to tremble and it look every ounce of her being to keep her voice from cracking.

"But I was too blind. A person in my condition is...just...not fit to be in a relationship, with anybody. You don't know what it is like to live as long as I have, and see every single person you have ever loved die, one by one in front of you, until you are alone in the world."

The tears had begun falling freely by now and she knew they couldn't be held back.

"And what of me?" he suddenly barked out, his eyes brimming with tears. "I had told myself the same, that I could never be together with anyone, because causing them physical pain would tear my soul _apart." _He loosed himself from her grip and raised himself from the couch.

"But I risked everything, to be with you."

Audrey raised herself off of the couch so that she was eye-level to the werewolf and grabbed onto his hand, lacing her fingers throughout his.

The heat radiating off of his body calmed her, made the firelight begin to grow fuzzy.

It was so different from her own body, with her icy marble skin. She gave herself chills.

She looked up into his eyes and wiped away a stray tear that had been forming in the corner.

"I can't see another person I love die." she cooed, her cold breath bouncing off of his chest.

Suddenly, there was a ear-piercing creak and the door leading into the hallway opened, revealing a rather lively Sirius grinning like mad.

"Are you nearly ready to go, Moony?" he sang, swinging along with the door.

Both pairs of eyes shot to him and made him loose his balance, loosing his grip on the door handle.

"Was I, uh, interrupting something?"

Frowning, Remus peeled himself from Audrey and made his way over to where Sirius was standing, dumbfounded. "No, it's alright. We'll talk about it when I get back."

"Back? Where are you going?" asked Audrey, who had drifted over to the doorway and now squeezed herself between Sirius and Remus.

"Well, it's nearly the full moon," Remus began, "And seeing as how the kids are all here, we figured it would be safer if I was to transform quite far from here, where it would be safer."

"I want to go with you, then." she stated proudly, nodding her head as if it had already been decided.

"No, certainly not. It's not safe for you, either. Absolutely not."

Remus then made for the door, Sirius leading the way, when Audrey blocked the doorway with her body, her arms spread wide.

"You will not stop me, Remus Lupin. I said I'm coming with you, and that's all there is to it."

He shook his head, trying to push her aside. Sirius just stood aside, his arms crossed, enjoying the show playing out in front of him.

"There is no way. You've got a job to do here."

She pushed him back and continued to hold her ground.

"Harry's already been retrieved, Sirius and Moody are looking after him well enough. I can hunt with you. Puhhhleeasseee?"

At this, Remus stopped and looked questioningly over at Sirius.

He raised his shoulders and shrugged. "If she wants too, I say why not?"


	4. The Moon Also Rises

A/N: Alright, now I know what you'll be thinking when you read this chapter, so DON'T. Yeah, It's a forest scene, but in no way does it reference itself to "Twilight". (None of this story will, believe me.)

The forest in which Audrey and Remus go to transform is Epping Forest in Essex, which in all actuality is about an hour from Central London. I figure it's an ideal spot for them, around 6,000 acres in which to roam and all of the deer they can eat.

I'm desperately trying to write longer chapters. They feel so rushed, but I figure when I get further into the story they will get a bit longer. Sorry.

When you review, you make me feel better about myself. Hooray.

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Audrey leaned back in her seat and sighed. 'Yes, this is definitely a much better means of transport than broomsticks.'

She closed her eyes and listened to the soft ticking of the train underneath her, like a metronome, making her body sway back and forth.

It had taken nearly hours of convincing, but Remus had finally agreed, with Sirius' help of course, to let her join him to Epping Forest, a 'safe, desolate location in which to transform', he had called it.

With its nearly 6,000 acres, she hoped so. Running into a human being for either of them would prove fatal, Remus transformed into an uncontrollable beast and Audrey unable to contain her lust for blood.

She opened her eyes as Remus made his way back from haggling with the trolley woman in the corridor.

"Chocolate?" he offered, pushing a rather large block of the confection into her face.

"No, I'm fine, thanks. Not much of an appetite, remember?" She smiled.

He let out a snort and continued munching on his candy.

The sweet sugary smell soon wrapped its aroma around Audrey's nose however, causing her to give in.

"Well, if you are going to keep taunting me like that!" she exclaimed, pulling the bar of chocolate out of his hands greedily.

"Oi! Hands off! You declined my offer, no taking-backs!"

After a few moments of awkward struggling, Remus soon found his hands empty and Audrey's mouth full of the delicious sweet.

After regaining her wits about her, Audrey realized in the struggle she had positioned herself onto Remus' lap, her legs overlapping his own, pining him down.

He sit there panting, gazing thoughtfully over at her. His right hand soon found itself resting on the top of her thigh, sending sparks shooting up Audrey's legs.

'Yes, that hand is supposed to be there.'

She slowly brought her hand down and laid it atop of his own gently.

"It's nearly like old times again, isn't it?" she whispered, entwining her fingers with his, never breaking eye contact.

"Audrey..." he began. His grip tightened on her fingers and he glanced down at the compartment floor, looking embarrassed.

Her hands shot up in protest to stop him from continuing. "It's nothing, it was ages ago."

He slowly brought his eyes back up to her own and searched into them deeply, trying to give her the answer she needed. The answer she had waited 14 years for.

But it didn't come.

She nodded, understanding.

Lifting herself from his lap, she walked the short distance back across the compartment and onto the opposite seat.

"You know why it couldn't have happened, Audrey."

She opened her mouth in response, her voice cracking -

"No, I don't..."

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The sun was already dipping lazily behind the horizon by the time Remus and Audrey the edge of the forest. Since they had departed from the train, Remus had begun to slow signs of his impending strain. Audrey could see the exhaustion in his eyes, even before his transformation had begun. He began to walk a bit slower, his shoulders hunching as his muscles began to tighten.

Audrey could see his fingernails digging themselves deep into his legs, trying desperately to control the throbs of pain weaving themselves through his body.

Audrey took a deep breath of the clean, pine air as they entered the woods. It burned her lungs, sickly sweet and cool.

She felt out of place surrounded by the immense forest, the thick branches swirling around her head like snakes.

"Boy, this place is just brimming with atmosphere." she mumbled, pulling off her jacket and throwing it carelessly over a low hanging tree branch.

"Well, I figure it all adds to the experience." Remus responded, his words issuing out with each little gasp of air.

She had always preferred the city to the countryside. The whirlwind of crowds seemed to calm her, the hum of civilization slowly singing her to sleep at night. Because, at least then she knew she wasn't alone.

The isolation that the forest provided made her want to scream with panic.

'What if, when I get out of here, they are all gone? Everyone. And I'm the only one left.'

"Do you come here every time you transform?" Audrey didn't look at him as she spoke but kept her eyes on the green leaves above her head.

"Sometimes." he muttered back. "I haven't been in London that long, I've been recruiting, you see."

She reached out her hand and caressed a tiny leaf, feeling its velvety skin.

"Recruiting?"

"Yes." He sounded farther away now, as if his voice was coming from the sky. "For the Order."

She withdrew her hand and searched around for Remus, who was about 50 feet away, removing his small striped scarf from his neck. She watched him as he folded it up neatly into a square and tucked it safely underneath a fallen log. "Real discoveries come from chaos."

"Recruiting whom, might I ask?"

He let out a breath of air and glanced over at her solemnly.

"Dumbledore thinks it is in the best interests to get all of the force we need for the Order, to fight back against Voldemort when the time comes, and so I am recruiting other Werewolves for the fight, to join us in helping take down the Death Eaters."

Audrey, knowing Remus wouldn't want to delve into the subject any further merely nodded her head and continued walking around, the first tiny streams of moonlight beginning to shine into her hair.

"Well, it's a nice place you've got here." she joked, glancing over her shoulder at Remus.

Her eyes landed on him and realized that he was in far too much pain to make any response.

He lay doubled over, his torso wrapped awkwardly over a tree stump. She crouched down beside him and could make out tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

Her eyes shot up to the sky, desperately searching for any sign of the moon.

It was making its way steadily up into the heavens, the grey clouds acting as a silkscreen blocking the worst convulsions of pain from the werewolf's body.

His temper would not remain in check much longer. But she couldn't find it in herself to leave him just yet. Couldn't leave him all alone.

He began to shake his head slowly, his hands hunting for hers in the little space between them.

"You...must..." he choked out, sobs racking his body.

"I'm not leaving you just yet." she cooed back calmly. She squeezed his hands tightly, reaffirming her statement.

As they sat in the middle of the forest floor, Audrey could feel hundreds of eyes on her, watching every move she was making. No noise issued from the darkening boughs around her, but she could hear the creatures slithering over the dead leaves peppered on the ground, the tiny heartbeats thundering out from their chests. She could feel the pulsing of their blood, drumming in her ears, driving her insane with hunger.

'Soon I'll be able to hunt. It will be a game, you hide and I'll count to ten.'

She looked down upon the man clutched in her arms, his breath shallow in his throat and realized she had been petting his hair, brushing it back past his eyes.

"Look at us, we're quite the pair, aren't we? I can't look at the sun, you can't look at the moon. It's a celestial conundrum."

At this he managed a weak smile.

"I...uh..." he began.

But as soon as the smile appeared, it vanished from his face as did all of the color, leaving his cheeks cold and pallid. His body began to shake violently, his grip crushing Audrey's hand in his own.

She let out a gasp and dung her fingers in between their hands, trying desperately to get loose.

She could feel his muscles contorting underneath her, lengthening and snapping into place in their new form. The hands compressing her own cracked into distorted shapes, the bones breaking and reshaping themselves and were soon matted with a coarse, black fur.

She managed to rip her hand from his own and threw herself from the monster and behind a nearby tree, leaving him screaming hysterically while coiled within the tangled roots littering the ground.

His clothes had almost all been ripped from his body, the sharp clawed nails at the ends of his fingers shredding them into tiny scraps.

Audrey was at a loss for what to do at this point, her own body shaking violently with fear.

Fear. That was something she hadn't truly felt for years, she had almost forgotten its hostile touch.

'Surely he can't hurt me,' she thought to herself, 'There's not much damage you could do to someone already declared dead.'

Suddenly, the security the shaded branches had offered her vanished and she could feel something closing tight around her neck. The werewolf swung her around as she thrashed about to get loose, smacking her hard against the trunks of several trees. Suffocating, she clutched wildly at the beast and grabbed a fistful of hair. She could hear him snarling fiercely and could feel globs of foamy saliva oozing down her arms.

"Remus..." she choked out, searching into the wolf's wild eyes, yellowed and almost glowing in the moonlight that was now dancing down upon his back.

Holding onto his neck, she plunged her teeth into his neck. He let out a vicious howl and tossed her from him, sending her soaring into the air. Her head collided with a rock, sending waves of pain throughout her brain.

She did not move; her head lay where it landed, against the unyielding rock, hoping he would eventually lose interest in her and go away. She didn't want to have to fight him anymore.

Rough pants and snorts echoed around her, not coming from any one direction and it made her stomach tighten.

Audrey could feel hot blood begin to trickle slowly down her forehead from where it met the rock.

The smell of it made her head swim, her thirst rising in her like a fever.

She needed to get out of there soon, otherwise she knew she would turn on Remus, no matter what the consequences.

Her heart began to beat at three times the normal speed. She could sense her eyes dilating and adjusting to the night, in order to hunt properly. The fangs she had used to bite at Remus' neck were growing still, until they reached past her tongue and over her bottom lip.

Barely lifting her head, she peeked out from behind her tousled hair which was now matted with blood.

Nothing.

There was no one there.

She lifted herself from the ground and knocked the caked dirt off of her pant legs.

"It is time to hunt."

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Audrey had just made her third kill and already the dawn began to poke its way out of the hillside, smiling upon the dew which coated the grass around her and the carcass beneath her.

It was normal for her to hunt several animals in one night, due to the fact that she rarely hunted wild game at all, and not just rats in the street or the stray pigeons bustling about in St. Pancras station.

It was a different experience entirely to feel the exhilaration of the hunt, the sweat pouring from her body, the smell of the blood fresh on her lips, the still-beating heart thumping in time with her own.

She searched the poor fawn's eyes as she sucked the last drops from its throat. She could feel it weakening, it was no longer jumping erratically to be freed.

She sun continued to rise up into the sky and she knew she had to stop soon and find Remus.

She hadn't encountered him again after the fight and she began to worry.

"I couldn't have hurt him too bad when I bit him, could I? It's not possible for a werewolf to die, just from one little tiny bite. Not even a bite, a pinprick of a bite. "

Audrey dug her teeth out of the deer's vein and looked around thoughtfully, her nose sniffing the air.

After a few minutes of doing this, she could make out his faint scent and followed it hurriedly.

She jogged without sound through the trees and into a small clearing not far from where she had been moments before. She spotted a rather large, dark figure laying amongst the thick weeds and came to a halt. For one second, she hesitated, unsure as to whether the final effects had worn off yet or not.

But a gut feeling assured her of her safety and she continued on until she was standing right above him.

He lay there on his stomach, his arms shielding his head, unclothed and fast asleep.

Audrey lowered herself to his level and ran her fingers through his tangled hair, whispering:

"Remus..." At this, he began to stir and lowered his arms down to his sides.

She could hear his nose whistling slightly as he breathed and a small grin beginning to etch its way onto his face.

"Remus..."

His eyes blinked slowly open and met Audrey's with their familiar grey cloudiness.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning." he mumbled, his voice cracking with lack of use.

Audrey laid her head down next to his on the crackling leaves and smiled across to him, their noses nearly touching.

"Rough night?"

He let out a small chuckle and nodded. "A bit. How about you?"

She raised her eyes upwards thoughtfully, thinking about it.

"Well, after I gave you these lovelies," she brushed her fingers over the small puncture marks dotted on his throat, "I didn't have any more problems."

Unbelieving, he quickly reached for his neck, feeling the bite marks underneath his callused fingers.

"But, I..." he began, his eyes wide with horror. "I didn't...hurt you?"

"Just my feelings, Mister Lupin." she winked at him, and then sat up suddenly.

She patted his bottom and jumped up onto her feet, already eager to get back to the Order.

Remus remained where he was, embarrassingly trying to cover himself up as he searched around desperately for his clothes.

"Don't worry, Remus." Audrey smiled at him before heading back into the woods, "It's nothing I haven't seen before."


	5. A Plan and a Purpose

**A/N:** Thanks to ILuvOdie, NekoPeeparific, WednesdayViola and WolfyPup for all of your words of encouragement and your patience. (And now giving me people to write for.)

Here's where the main plot of the story comes into focus and some romantic development.  
I'm going to update, even if you don't review.

But it would still make me happy.

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Audrey, now fully energized from her hunt the previous night, pushed her way through the door of Grimmauld Place and into the now familiar gaunt hallway, the overwhelming smell of mold and mothballs a surprising relief to her. Clutching tightly to her shoulder was Remus, his face pallid and drawn. The overnight stay in the woods had nearly murdered him and it was almost impossible for him to walk on his own without falling over onto his face.

She guided him gently through the hall and into the adjoining entryway, leaning herself on the wall so as not to fall herself.

"Alright," she huffed, taking baby steps over to the staircase, "nearly there now. It will be hot tea and feather beds here on in for you, mister."

He merely groaned in response, his nails unintentionally digging into her shoulder.

"Oh, goodness!"

Audrey glanced up to see a distraught-looking Molly bustling over to where they were awkwardly huddled, her arms wide open, almost as if she were preparing to scoop Remus up in her arms and tote him up the stairs into bed.

"ARTHUR!" she bellowed again, reaching Remus and cupping his sweat-coated face in her hands. "Oh for Merlin's sake, we must get you into bed this very instant!"

Audrey could hear a small gurgling coming from Remus' throat, as if making to respond, but was soon extinguished by Molly once again.

"SIRIUS! ARTHUR! Get in here right now! Don't you make me call again!"

At this, both Sirius and Arthur, as well as the rest of the household hurried into the entryway to see what the commotion was all about.

Sirius, understanding instantly the problem, pulled his friend from Audrey's person and grabbed tightly onto his arm. Arthur, following suit, grabbed the opposite arm and the two managed to wrangle him up the stairs and into the nearest bedroom.

"Honestly, Audrey," said George, beaming down at her, "You didn't have to rough him up that bad."

"Next time you'd like to go out into the woods, just let us know, love." Fred finished, also smiling brightly.

"Oh stop it you two!" Molly chirped wildly, grasping onto Audrey's torso and pulling her involuntarily into the kitchen. "Now let's get you something to drink dear, you are chilled to the bone."

Audrey sat at the kitchen, sipping warm gulps of butterbeer and every once in a while, glancing up eagerly at the clock above the refrigerator.

It was mumbled to her, in between bites of sandwich, by Arthur that before the beginning of school term, Severus Snape was to make a quick visit to the Order and discuss plans of the utmost importance.

Judging by the awful things being spewed about him by the children, he wasn't the sweetest cup of tea. Still, she was hopeful.

Also scattered around the table were a few members of the Order, including the Weasleys, Sirius, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Moody, Elphias Doge and a rather sleepy Emmeline Vance.

Remus, although coherent was still secluded to his room, only being seen by Sirius, who visited every hour with a cup of peppermint tea and a few bits of nut brittle.

"…would you be willing to, Audrey?" The voice of Molly buzzed in her ear, knocking her out of her daydream.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't catch that, Molly." Audrey answered apologetically.

"I was asking if you wouldn't mind helping me tomorrow around the house with a few chores. Just rummaging the doxies out of the curtains and all of that."

Audrey looked over at Arthur, who, not being able to help her out, merely shrugged his shoulders.  
Elphias gave a little chuckle and spooned a bit of pudding into his mouth and into his beard.

"For goodness sake, Molly, she's a guest, not a chambermaid."

"I had said no such thing! I merely asked the young lady if…"

Audrey cut her off before she was able to fly entirely off the handle.

"I couldn't think of anything better, Molly. I'd love to help out."

Just as Elphias opened his mouth to retort, a sharp knock resounded from the back door, making everyone gasp aloud.

"That'll be Severus." said Arthur, scooting his chair out from under the table.

As the back door was opened, the dim light of the moon outside was stifled by a rather large, hunched figure, his face obscured with wispy black hair.

The atmosphere in the room changed as soon as the shadow entered the room, making it somewhat colder, making everyone twist their feet around the legs of their chair so as not to be swept away.

As the light slowly hit his face, Audrey could make out first and foremost a rather large hooked nose smack-dab in the middle of his face. His coal black eyes hit her instantly though, as if searching for no one else in the room but her.

"Welcome Severus." Arthur smiled, politely grabbing his hand in his own. "Sit down, will you?"

He didn't walk but seemed to float over to the table, the scowl on his lips clouding her mind. There was something hidden about this man, she could sniff it out.

He had an odour about him, not necessarily bad, but different, something definitely new.

"Anything to drink for you?" Arthur mumbled, showing him to the vacant chair opposite Audrey.

"No, thank you."  
It was the first time she had ever heard him speak. It had a haunting tune about it, droll and monotone, but also almost musical.

Arthur set himself back down and clasped his hands together on the table, taking a deep breath.

"Alright," he began, "Everyone, you know Severus."

They all nodded in silent agreement. 'Maybe the children were right,' she thought, 'maybe he is as awful as they say.'

"Audrey, this is Severus Snape. He is working undercover for the Order, in the service of Lord Voldemort himself. He is employed at Hogwarts where he watches constantly over Harry and delivers vital information to Dumbledore."

"Severus, this is Audrey, our newest addition to the Order. She is a fighter in every right and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty for us."  
At this, Audrey lifted her upper lips to expose her fangs to Severus. It didn't seem to affect him in the least.

"Now Severus," Kingsley piped in, "you initiated this meeting as you said you had an ability to get more information out of You-Know-Who. Would you care to share it with us? After all, we aren't here to get chummy."

Severus glanced down at his sleeve and tugged gently on a loose piece of string, twirling it in between his fingers. His eyes shot back up to Kingsley.

"Shacklebot, you really mustn't mumble, it doesn't become you at all. Now, if you don't mind I'd like to tell you why I'm here."

Audrey let out an accidental laugh. As if stung, Severus' eyes shot up to her freezing her cold. He looked at her as if her hair were on fire. It's as if he had never heard a laugh before and was unaware of the sound that had bellowed from her.

"I have been in discussion with the Dark Lord and it has come to my attention he is preparing to recruit some elements of force to work for him."

He kept his eyes on Audrey as if she was the only member of the Order.

"This list includes various beasts which will provide a great asset to this war. He is already searching the mountainsides throughout the continent for giants willing to ally themselves with him and already has a few werewolves ready to do his bidding."

The air in the room seemed to disappear completely, leaving them all wide-eyed, with mouths agape.

"Dumbledore has alerted me of the new addition to the Order as well as Ms. Belmont's circumstances as a vampire in our community…"

"NO!" Sirius shot out, startling several people and causing Moody to spill his mead.

"I know what you are up to, Snape and I'll tell you, the answer is no! She is absolutely too young to be forced to act her way under **his** power. I will not have it!"

Severus hesitated a moment, composing his words carefully, the black opal eyes beginning to sear with impatience.  
"I assure you Sirius that Ms. Belmont is by far older than anyone residing in this room and is more than capable of making her own decisions. She will be a vital asset to Dumbledore AND the Order and will work her way up in the eyes of Voldemort."

At this Arthur chimed in: "How is she expected to join up with Voldemort? I'm sure there isn't an open house for this kind of thing."

"I will recommend Ms. Belmont to the Dark Lord and take her to him myself. He will then examine her, test her for her loyalty and place her amongst the others willing to fight."

The entire time, Audrey sat motionless, looking down at her hands to avoid Severus' gaze, slowly hearing her future being decided for her.

"What do you think, Audrey?" Arthur asked, for the first time asking her opinion on the matter.

She looked up to the faces around her. Mrs. Weasley's lower lip was trembling and Moody's magical eye had begun to spin counterclockwise, making a tiny whirring noise as it did so.

Finally, Audrey spoke.

"I joined the Order to be the most help I could possibly be in this time of need. I believe doing this is what I can do best to assist you against Voldemort. And if that means sacrificing my loyalty to him, so be it."

It was hurriedly decided that the next morning, Audrey was to journey to Spinner's End to the home of Severus in order to initiate the next step in their plan.  
They had only a limited amount of time before Severus was required back at Hogwarts and time was of the essence.

As Audrey pushed herself up the steps to her bedroom, long after everyone else had gone to sleep, she suddenly felt herself ricocheting off of some sizable object.

Two arms shot out of the darkness and steadied her. Searching around in the blackness, she soon spotted two soft eyes peering back at her.

"Remus, you should be in bed!" she whispered, trying to guide him back to his room.

"No, I'm alright. I needed to see you."

"Now is not the time."

"Please."

She loosened her grip on his arms and nodded slowly.

"Come with me."

Noiselessly, they tiptoed through the house like two spirits, haunting the hallways.

He led her up to the top landing and into a tiny attic room, stripped of furniture and wallpaper. All that caught her eye was a large window sat squarely in the middle of the opposite wall.

She looked up at him, utterly confused, but he only shot her a small grin.

Opening the window carefully, he pushed himself through and onto the other side.

"Remus! What on Earth are you doing?!" she gasped, trying to pull him back by his trousers.

"It's alright. Come on."

Taking a deep breath, she hopped through the window and landed on a ledge on the side of the house which led to the roof of the building.

It was a large, barren, sun bleached spot which was centered around several chimney stacks, giving it a sense of isolation.

Looking down onto the city below, she felt as if she was a million feet up, gliding high on a broomstick with Remus. The thought of it made her dizzy and clutched onto his jacket to steady herself.

After a few moments, the nausea subsided and she was able to take in the beauty of it all.

"It's magnificent, Remus." she mused, gazing up at the stars above her.

"You don't have to do this." he murmured, loosening his grip on her. "You don't have to fight for us. We can handle it well enough without you endangering yourself."

"Yes I do. It is the most important thing to me now. It's what keeps me going, knowing that instead of wasting away, of becoming something I don't know, I am helping people who I care for more than anything, that I'm using my burden for good."

"You will never be alone, Audrey. You know that."

"But I am scared, Remus." she whispered, closing her eyes. "And I haven't been truly frightened for a long time."

He gently brushed the loose strands of hair that had fallen across her cheek and tucked them back behind her ear. "You've never been scared. You were always fearless."

She choked out a nervous laugh. "It's hard to reveal your emotions when you've seen as much as I have, but on the inside I'm just a little girl, trembling against the wind."

As if on cue, a sharp gust of air swept its way over the sky and twisted its arms around Audrey, making her pull her jacket tighter around her.

"Are you cold?" Remus asked. Removing his outer coat he quickly draped it over her shoulders before she had time to protest.

"I'm always cold." she mumbled.

They stood silently side by side, glancing out over the city, the moonbeams striking the tiny buildings below them, making them sparkle like forgotten jewels wedged in the sand.

"You know," Audrey finally began, "if it were appropriate, I'd say this whole scene is awfully romantic."

She looked up at Remus sheepishly. He looked sober and tired, the fresh scratches adorning his cheeks and the heavy bags dangling precariously under his eyes.

But his eyes, glowing brilliant blue in the moonlight gave him a ghostly presence, piercing into her, her breath catching in her throat.

His voice was barely above a whisper: "Why don't you say it then."

Not breaking contact with his eyes, she floated into his arms, the heavy coat he offered her already pushed off of her and fallen to the ground.

"This is awfully romantic." she breathed, inching her lips closer to his, tucking in her fangs so as not to deliver any ill-timed bites.

Suddenly, a fiery anger pulsed from him, grabbing her shoulders hard and pulling her away.

"We can't do this!" he barked, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I won't let it happen again! I refuse! I…"  
Remus broke off, searching into her haunted eyes, now drowning themselves in tears.

The kiss was slow and unhurried. It was seventeen years worth of wanting and finally being granted the one thing that each knew would make their lives worth living for.

Their tongues swept delicately across each other, refusing to let them speak the words that had kept them apart. The fear that had frozen their hearts earlier was now being chipped away by the overwhelming sensation of ecstasy. Their bodies melded together, getting as close to each other as they possibly could.

By the time Remus, weary-eyed and draped in his own dirtied jacket, awoke to the sun smiling its way onto the horizon, the light drops of dew making his hair shimmer.

As he climbed back down into the house, an overwhelming emptiness overtook him.

She was already gone.


	6. A Door in the Dark

A/N: I've gotten a few questions about Audrey in terms of her magic abilities. I'll cover it a bit in this chapter, but basically, as Audrey is considered a 'non-magical beast' in the eyes of the Ministry (in the fact that she is already dead, etc.) , she isn't allowed a wand, but still allowed to reside in the magical world, much like a squib can.

PLEASE review. Come on now, just a few words for all of the ones I've written for you.

* * *

Shortly after Remus had fallen asleep on the roof, Audrey had decided to set off at once.

Lifting his arm, which was draped delicately over her torso, she tiptoed over to the side railing of the fire escape and crawled quietly back in through the window.

'It will be easier this way,' she thought to herself as she passed the closed doors in the hallway. 'I'll already be gone by the time everyone is awake.'

As she passed through the hallway, she could hear the low hum of breathing radiating from underneath the closed doors.

It relaxed her, listening to the paced snores echoing in her ears. She had, without realizing it, become increasingly anxious the further she advanced down the hall. Her heart was thumping loudly under her ribs, so loudly she quickly placed her hand over it to stifle the beating should it awake anyone.

She wasn't sure about what she would have to do, but she knew who she was fighting for. For the very people behind those doors, for Remus.

Something suddenly shifted in the shadows ahead of her, making her come to a quick stop and nearly tripping on the tattered carpet underneath her feet.

"Who's there?" she whispered into the darkness, her lips parting to expose her elongated

fangs. While it was hardly a defense against a waiting wand, it was the only protection she could offer.

"Miss Belmont?"

In an instant, Audrey calmed, retracting her canines as Harry slowly stumbled into view.

"Harry, what are you doing up at this hour of the night?" Audrey mumbled.

"Couldn't sleep." he mumbled back, advancing slowly towards her, trying to find his way towards her in the dark . "I've been having bad dreams, is all."

Audrey continued on down the hallway, with Harry following by her side.

"Harry, you've got to be more careful. If I didn't know it was you sooner, I'd have alot of explaining to do with the Order." She nearly shot him a nervous grin, but realizing he wouldn't be able to make it out in the dark, decided against it.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

There was a long pause, broken only by the creak of the floorboards underneath their feet as they continued along the passage.

She could tell he was bottling up equal amounts of grief and resentment, and she was at a loss to what to say to him about each.

"So what was your dream about?"

'Well, it wasn't exactly what I could have said in this situation,' she thought to herself, 'but it's something.'

"Uh, you know," he muttered, "Giant creatures with cannons for heads shooting at me, the usual."

Audrey let out a hushed laugh and slapped lightly at what she assumed was his shoulder.

Approaching a small window bursting with moonlight, she was finally able to see Harry's face gleaming back at her own.

It was obvious to her now that he had been crying. But even though the skin around his eyes was a puffy red, they still emitted emerald hue and seemed to shine even more brilliantly than normal.

They had reached the foot of the stairs but neither of them was inclined to descend.

"Are you scared, Audrey?"

The question had taken her aback and she glanced up at him wide-eyed.

No one but Remus had ever asked her how she felt before, but always seemed to assume she would be fearless in the face of danger. They weren't aware that vampires could possibly be frightened, that creatures which were associated with darkness and death

could still shiver when they walked alone.

"Yes, Harry. A bit."

He bowed his head, understanding the feeling. After all, fear had followed him his whole life. Much as it did in hers.

She continued, "But fear cannot be without hope. Or hope without fear."

She grabbed ahold of Harry's arm and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Don't ever think you are alone in this, Harry. We are all afraid, but it just makes us all the more willing to fight for what we love."

Then with a swift nod, she dashed down the broad stone steps and out into the night.

Audrey managed to quickly blend herself into the late-night crowds jamming up the city streets. Loud shouts and ripples of laughter buzzed about in her head as she passed overflowing corner pubs, jumbling up her thoughts. Severus had mumbled his address to her hurriedly before departing Grimmauld Place the night before, but, as hard as she had tried to hear, she had only managed to catch the name of the street.

Spinner's End.

Her best bet at this point was to hop on a night bus and ask the driver to take her to this location. Seeing as how Severus usually only lived in this house for a few months out of the entire year, it would make sense that he would choose to live in the cheaper, Muggle parts of the city.

Cutting through several side streets, she managed to find a decent bus stand.

She found a spot to sit next to two rather scantly clad women who were too busy shouting at one another to take any notice of her. After about ten minutes, the night bus pulled into view and after fishing several Muggle coins out of her coat pockets, she boarded.

The driver eyed her suspiciously as she dropped the coins into the machine next to him.

"Excuse me?" she asked, bending down to meet the eye level of the driver.

He didn't respond but simply kept staring with a look of abhorrence slapped onto his face.

"Do you know of a place called Spinner's End?"

Again, no response.

Audrey took a deep breath and moved even closer to the driver, whose bugged out eyes followed her every move.

"Sir? Spinner's End. Do you know it?"

He continued to stare for a few seconds and then shifted in his seat to see her better.

"What would you want to go there for, little missy?"

"You do know it then?"

He nodded slowly, pushing his cap up a bit and rubbing his forehead.

"Could you take me there, possibly?"

He glanced up at the mirror above his head to survey the current occupants seated around the bus.

Only the two bickering women and an unwashed older gentleman, fast asleep.

"Alright," he agreed, pulling his cap back down, almost covering his eyes, "but It'll be an extra £2 for the trouble."

After about 20 minutes and a few brawls from the scrappy women at the back of the bus, Audrey found herself landed in Spinner's End.

It was a dreary little street and the natural darkness of the night seemed even darker on this side of town. A light, eerie mist shifted its way across the road's cobbles.

Glancing down to the end of the street, Audrey could make out a deserted building, the remnants of what seemed to have been a mill.

The dull yellow of the streetlights did nothing to reveal to her which houses were which, the brass numbers on the outside of the dwellings still in the shadows.

'Not like I would know where to go even if I did see the house numbers, ' she reminded herself. 'I have absolutely no idea where I'm even going.'

Realizing this, she stopped in her tracks.

The whole street seemed as if it had been deserted years ago.

There was no evidence to prove that anyone even lived there anymore. No animals, no cars. There were no rubbish bins or tire tracks or anything.

"God, I'm an idiot." she whispered to herself, wrapping her arms around her torso.

"And why is that, Miss Belmont?"

She couldn't help but let out a startled scream as she whipped around, coming face to face with none other than the man whose house she was searching for.

He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, and yet she hadn't heard the loud crack customary with Apparating.

He merely stood there, his black hair framing a perfectly sallow face. In his hand, he held a dimly lit wand, which he seemed to be trying to hide with his arm.

"Come along," he muttered, turning on his heel and trudging off without her, "no need to sit out in plain sight where anyone could spot you."

She opened her mouth to speak, but realizing she didn't have anything to say, took a quick glance around and followed quickly behind.

He led her silently through the street, his black cloak rustling with each stride, until he reached a particularly dark corner of the street and up to a large, black door.

With a swift flick of his wrist, he tapped his wand against the lock of the door and pushed his way through into the house.

Audrey hurried past him into the main room as he fastened the bolts on the door.

Her eyes barely needed to adjust as she glanced around the barely lit room, dotted here and there with tiny specks of candlelight.

The air smelled strongly of mold and she could feel waves of dust swirling up her nose with each inhale.

Her eyes danced along the walls of the cramped room, and noticed that nearly every single inch was covered with books, all of them tightly bound in either black or dark brown leather. It was certainly the house of a professor.

"The house is rarely used otherwise it would be in better condition than its current state." Severus cooed as he came up behind her.

She turned around quickly, meeting his forbidding black eyes.

"It's...it's alright." she mumbled quickly, flashing a nervous grin. "I understand you aren't here for most of the year, you're at Hogwarts."

His eyes continued to glare down at her and his lips twisted in an unpleased scowl.

"Yes."

The silence that followed was unbearably uncomfortable, leaving Audrey twisting her fingertips to avoid screaming out.

"Can I get you anything?" he finally breathed out, his shoulders beginning to turn in the direction of the kitchen.

"Uh, tea. Would be nice." Audrey nearly bit her tongue as she said it, but it was the only chance for her to break the awful pause.

Before she could even blink, he had rushed off into the back of the house.

Evidentially the silence was as uncomfortable for him as it was for her.

She let out a deep breath that she had been holding as soon as he left the room and glanced around her, taking in her surroundings.

'Maybe all of this is a mistake. I can't possibly help the Order this way. I can barely protect my own life, how am I supposed to protect others?'

She quickly shook the pessimistic voice out of her head and marched over to the bookcase alining the wall and pulled out a heavy leather volume.

Asiatic Anti-Venoms.

She briskly flipped through the book's sooty pages, searching for anything that looked remotely interesting. Suddenly, the pages emitted a sharp, roaring hiss, making her drop the book with a shriek.

"I wouldn't touch that book as it can be a bit dangerous,"

Audrey looked over to where Severus was standing, looking severe and holding two delicate cups of tea in his hands.

"And the chapter on The Spitting Cobra is particularly foul."

She glanced down at where she had dropped the book and nodded slowly.

Severus weaved his way past several large piles of textbooks and settled in a ragged grey armchair. Audrey followed his example and found a rickety wooden chair a few feet from where he was located and sat herself down.

He didn't look up a he handed her a cup of tea but kept his eyes focused on his own.

"Thank you." she sighed, taking the cup and holding it close to her chest.

The warmth of the liquid began to seep through her body, down to her toes, making her

body less tense.

But not much.

"You already know why you are here, Miss Belmont, I will not repeat it. But I must warn you as to the severity of what you are indeed getting yourself into."

At this, his cold eyes searched into her own, completely draining the warmth right out of her again.

"Dealing with Death Eaters is not a task in which you can simply rely on me to help you with. You will need to expose yourself completely to them, as they will never accept you until they have seen the very core of your mind and have sifted through every memory you hold dear."

Audrey took a small sip of her tea, letting its heat wrap its way around her tongue, which at the moment felt like a brick of lead.

"If they see every memory, won't they instantly know my true purpose for the Order?"

"That is why I have asked you to come here first, Miss Belmont. We must not waste any time. Have you ever heard of Occumency?"


	7. All That is Past

A/N: This is the chapter where we see some the past seventeen years for Audrey, including her relationships with The Marauders and Lily.

This is also the first chapter in which Severus is featured as a bit more than a supporting character.

* * *

Audrey kept her eyes glued to her cup, watching the rogue tea leaves swirl around slowly. They seemed to be waltzing in time to her own uneasy breathing. She could feel Severus' sharp stare, burning a hole in her skin. Why on Earth had she agreed to do this?

After what seemed like hours, Audrey finally spoke up, although it was barely audible;

"Occlumency," she huffed out, "is...defending your mind against...external penetration."

Severus raised an eyebrow, as if surprised she had actually known the answer.

"Yes. A very obscure branch of magic, one extremely hard to master, however..."

At this he shot up out of his seat and walked over to a small table squeezed between two large

bookcases, as if he suddenly couldn't bear to be anywhere near her. The small sneers he would shoot her every once in a while were enough evidence to support that.

He leaned over the desk, his palms pressed firmly against the wood to support his weight.

"Albus Dumbledore believes that me teaching you Occlumency, even its barest principles would be absolutely crucial to your survival during your time with the Death Eaters."

He suddenly turned on his heel to meet her eyes again, now set with a deep determination.

"But why does Dumbledore think I need this sort of training?"

"The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency. If he felt the need, he could easily pry into your mind, finding out everything about you in a few moments. Only those trained in Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings, all of those memories which would be devastating were he to discover them, to build up a barrier, at which point you would be able to stand in his presence without detection."

Audrey glanced back down into her tea, which by now had gone cold, trying to interpret this sudden task forced upon her.

"But you're taking me to the Death Eaters tomorrow." she retorted. "Surely I can't master Occlumency in a few hours time."

Severus eyed Audrey, his dark eyes glittering. "The Dark Lord will not be present for tomorrow's meeting, so from him at least, you are safe. The other Death Eaters are not trained in this skill, but you will still need to prove to them that you are willing to sacrifice everything you hold dear in the name of the Dark Lord."

A sudden shiver coursed its way down Audrey's spine. She looked quickly over at the door, the voice inside of her telling her to run. She wasn't ready to give up her entire life to this evil. To fight side by side with the very people she had promised to vanquish for the sake of Harry. For the sake of Dumbledore, for the sake of --

"Remus." she mumbled underneath her breath. He had believed in her, to let her go.

He trusted her in the fact that she would be strong, be strong in the face of this monster.

She couldn't let him down. Because by letting him down, she would be letting down everyone else she cared for.

Her eyes shifted over to Severus, who still kept his eyes on her, tracing his mouth with his finger.

Audrey set down her mug on the small side table next to her and turned back to him.

"Alright, what do we have to do?"

Hesitantly, he made his way over to where she was sitting and slid silkily into the chair opposite her. His greasy black hair obscured his face, making it hard for her to make out his expression.

"It seems that you have no wand to speak of, correct?"

Audrey nodded sternly. "I've never been allowed a wand. Over at the Ministry, they think it improper for a legally deceased creature to brandish magic."

She let out an awkward snort which caused Severus to raise his head in surprise.

She searched his eyes eagerly, finally seeing another emotion begin to flow into them other than that of pure disgust or anger. But as soon as the change had come, his eyes fluttered back into that usual cold black stare.

Raising from the chair, he pulled out his wand from an inside pocket hidden away in his robes and moved to the center of the room.

"Because you have no wand to disarm me or defend yourself," Audrey could feel her fangs begin to elongate, delicately sliding down her bottom lip. "Other than your...natural abilities, you must find another way to defend yourself from a mental attack."

Audrey slowly retracted her canines and eyed Snape's wand, clutched tightly in his hand.

"Stand up."

Apprehensively, she pushed herself out of the chair and walked to where Severus was now standing, a sense of uneasiness surging through her.

They faced each other, their eyes set.

"What are you going to do?" Audrey asked, her body tensing up.

"I am going to attempt to break into your mind," he said cooly.

"We are going to see how well you can mentally resist my attack. Brace youself."

Before Audrey could steady herself, she could hear him shout "_Legilimens!"_

Suddenly, her mind began to explode with a burst of light. Random pictures whizzed around her, blinding her before transforming into another image. Another memory.

She could see herself in the dark hallways at Grimmauld Place, Harry walking side-by-side with her as she smacked his shoulder...She could see herself flying over the city on the back of Remus' broom, clutching on for dear life as she dug her fingers into his sides...Another blast of light. She could see herself running through the forest, the pine trees slashing her face as she sped past and the moon illuminating her path...She was sitting at the dining room table now, Sirius laughing hysterically, tears in his eyes as he glanced over at her. He gave her a quick wink and then exploded into another blinding light...In the Ministry of Magic now, she turned to face a bright eyed, less worn version of Remus gleaming back at her. His grey eyes began to glow as her surroundings began to dim. Soon the only source of light was his eyes, as they bore down upon her...

"NO!"

In an instant, it had stopped. She opened her eyes to find a rather annoyed Severus looking down upon her, his wand at his side. Evidentially while she was fighting to control her memories, she had fallen rather unceremoniously onto the floor. Severus gave a sharp sigh before holding out his hand to help her up.

"You didn't really try at all, did you?" hissed Snape, walking back over to where he had been originally standing.

She could feel her blood begin to boil as she tried to come up with a retort.

"Well...if you would have told me what you were going to do, maybe I would have been more prepared!" she barked back.

"Do you expect the Dark Lord to tell you when he decides to invade your mind?" he shot back.

"You needed to feel how much power this spell can bring, and you need to learn how to control it!"

Audrey could feel herself shaking, but wasn't aware if it was from what she had just been through or just raw anger.

"Did you see what I saw?" Audrey asked, sitting herself on the arm of the chair closest to her.

"Just small flashes of it. But that small amount of information would be enough confirmation to the Dark Lord that you were just a spy working for Dumbledore. You have to remain focused."

"On what?" she shouted, a sharp pain beginning to pulse in her leg. 'That must have been where I fell.' she thought to herself.

Severus merely sneered, his lip curled upwards as he gestured for her to return to the center of the room. She shot him a pleading look but he merely stood there, his eyes unsympathetic.

Raising herself gently from the chair, she once again walked to where he was standing.

"You are going to need to clear your mind, you have to let go of all your emotion."

"That's easier said that done, Severus." she said angrily, rubbing her back.

"None the less," he growled back, "it is discipline that'll get you through this."

Although still rowelled up, she managed to close her eyes and take a deep, soothing breath.

"Now, clear your mind of all thought," She could feel him circling around her like prey, chanting the words into her ears. "Don't feel. Don't remember."

"On the count of three. One..two..."_Legilimens!"_

She could see herself crying hysterically, clinging to her pillow...Remus screaming as she tried to hold him back from a pair of guards. She turned her head to where he was shouting and could see Sirius being dragged away, his hands clawing at anything to keep him from being taken...

Standing in the snow, Remus at her side, clutching her hand almost too tight as they watched two caskets being lowered into the ground...A tiny baby's face protruding from a blanket. Looking up, she could see the proud mother's face, Lily's face...Remus shining down brightly upon her as they swayed on the dance floor...Lily and James kissing tearfully amidst cheers from the wedding crowd...

"STOP IT!"

The bursts of light instantly faded and she soon found herself, once again, on the floor.

Her head felt like it was going to burst, but it was no comparison to the stabbing pains in her chest. She had no idea he would be able to go back that far.

She glanced up, but this time there was no Severus offering his hand to pull her up.

Uneasily, she managed to stand up and searched around her. Snape had his back turned to her and was brushing his hands across the spines of several large volumes stacked on his bookshelves.

She hobbled over to the chair and fell ungracefully into it, her muscles turning to jelly.

For several minutes, neither of them spoke, but simply stared off into space.

Audrey was the first to speak. "Listen, Severus. I'm trying my hardest, I really am."

He didn't respond but kept his back to her, as if pretending she didn't exist.

"Some of those memories were the best times I've ever had in my life." she continued, despite his obvious lack of interest. She smiled to herself as she pictured Remus' face hovering over her, his eyes bright with joy and the worry lines that were now ever imprinted on his face nonexistent. But then other images began surging through her brain again. The funeral.

Their tiny baby boy suddenly orphaned.

"And some of them were worse than anything I've ever been through."

Severus had turned abruptly and began to trudge out of the room but then stopped halfway out the door. He glanced back at Audrey, tears now beginning to stain her cheeks.

He looked down at his feet, as if embarrassed to see her exposed like this. Slowly, he made his way back to where she sat and eased himself in the chair across from her.

"They were my best friends, you know?" Audrey mumbled underneath her breath.

"I hadn't known them for very long at all, really," she sniffed back some tears, "but in that time, I never felt lonely, never felt unloved. And living as long as I have, that doesn't come around too often."

She glanced up at Severus, his eyes still concentrated on the floor. She continued anyway, even if he wasn't listening. "The girl you saw, Lily, she was like my sister. You wouldn't have met a kinder, gentler woman if you looked to the ends of the Earth."

She noticed Severus shift slightly in his seat.

"The year I met Remus was the same year she and James were married. It was beautiful.

That was the day Remus proposed to me."

At this, Severus glanced up, surprised. But he could see the shadow that was suddenly cast on Audrey's face. "But that was the year everything began to change. The Death Eater's began to rise up so fast, it was getting harder for everyone."

At this point, Severus was studying her face intently, his hands gripping the armrests firmly.

"Regulus Black, Sirius' brother was killed but the Aurors kept hunting down Death Eaters, some sent to Azkaban. And then baby Harry was born."

Audrey's face began to light up a bit, but for only a second. "He made Lily and James so happy and it took all of our minds off of things for a while." It was then the tears began falling freely now. "And then Lily and James had to go into hiding."

Suddenly Audrey's face grew into a snarl and her eyes began to burn with anger.

"And then Peter led him to them. He led Voldemort to them and killed them."

Sobs began to rack her body. "And Peter let it happen. He was our friend. And he murdered them."

Audrey couldn't bear to say any more. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it.

The room was completely silent for what seemed like hours, with the occasional sob or sniff from Audrey. Severus merely sat there, his eyes trying to focus on anything but her.

But he stayed. And as awkward as it was, it gave Audrey a small comfort knowing he was still there.

Gradually, he lifted himself from his chair and swept past into the hall. Audrey could hear a few bumps and creaks but couldn't see anything from where she was sitting.

Then as fast as he had disappeared, he shot back into the room with several blankets and a pillow. He set them down on the chair and then straightened back up, looking down upon a rather tear-soaked and red Audrey.

Before she could say anything, Severus swiftly clutched her shoulders and lifted her gently out of the seat. "I think you've had enough exertion for one night, Miss Belmont."

Through her puffy eyes, she could see herself being led down the dark hallway which, just like the rest of the house, was covered from base to ceiling with thick books and the occasional portrait.

While still clutching her arm, he turned the knob on a door that was at the end of the hall and led her inside. She caught a quick glimpse of a rather high-ceilinged room, the walls still covered with books. Mixed into the shelves were occasional pieces of dark-wooded furniture; a wardrobe, a few sets of dresser drawers, a writing desk and a large wrought iron bed sat right in the middle of the room. He set her firmly on the bed and continued on past her, to the dresser against the back wall.

"I'm assuming you have nothing to change into?" he questioned, rummaging around the drawers.

"I...uh...didn't think I'd be staying overnight."

He sighed softly and she could hear him shut the drawers with a snap.

He glided back over to where he had set her down and tossed a thick cotton shirt onto her lap.

"I suggest you get some sleep," he muttered, heading towards the door, "we've got alot more to cover tomorrow."

She glanced down at the shirt in her hands, rubbing the fabric in between her thumb and forefinger.

"Wait," she suddenly shouted, stopping him right before he closed the door.

"Where are you going to sleep?" As soon as she asked, a sudden but brief light seemed to flash in his eyes, softening his sour appearance.

"I think I'll be able to handle the settee perfectly well, Miss Belmont."

She let out a small chuckle and nodded.

"And Severus...thank you."

He stared hard at her for a few seconds, unblinking. Audrey's heart suddenly leapt into her throat, as if she had said something wrong.

Then, he simply nodded and quickly shut the door behind him.


	8. Unfriendly Fire

Audrey managed to pull herself off of the carpet despite the burning pain in her shoulder.

During the course of her Occlumency lessons, she had managed to bruise both legs, sprain her left ankle and break her right pinky finger. The mental pain wasn't really bothering her anymore, but while the spell was surging through her she seemed to lose all control of her body and would always find herself gazing up at the ceiling a few minutes later, some random part of her aching.

"You know, if I wasn't dead already, I'd say you were trying to kill me."

She glanced over at the dark mass to her right, giving it a sheepish grin despite the fact that at the moment she wouldn't have minded beating it to a pulp.

"Well, Miss Belmont, you are certainly doing better than the mess I saw last night. You managed to stop me eventually, although you nearly knocked yourself unconscious in the process."

"It's my style, Severus. Surely you would have noticed that by now."

She shuffled over to the small couch pressed up against the wall and plopped down lazily.

"Besides, I only fell over because I tripped on all the piles of books you've got laying about the place."

Severus let out a soft grumble and sat himself in his armchair, pushing several editions of the Daily Prophet off before doing so.

"Did you see everything? Like last time?" she whispered, running her hands through her hair which was damp with sweat.

When he didn't answer, she looked over to see him absorbed in the most recent print of the newspaper.

On the front page, she could make out a rather squat, toad-like woman dressed from head to toe in a rather obnoxious shade of pink and sporting an angelic smile as camera bulbs flashed around her.

Above the picture, the headline read:

**Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge to teach at Hogwarts**

Audrey stared at the page in disbelief. Could this possibly be a joke? A Ministry official at Hogwarts? Soon enough, the entire school would be turned upside down. The Ministry can barely take care of their own affairs and now they want to dictate over the schools.

Before she could read any more, Severus had folded the paper and placed it on his lap.

"Yes."

Audrey looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"I saw them, although they were a bit foggy," he sat staring at his fingers as if he were almost embarrassed to admit the fact that he had seen everything that had whizzed through her mind only a few minutes ago. "Why had you been admitted to St. Mungo's?"

He looked up into her eyes, not with sympathy or worry, but perhaps just general curiosity.

_The images came flooding back into her head again. She could see herself lying on the the forest floor, looking up to the moon through glazed eyes. She dug her long nails deep into the damp earth, thin roots tangling around her fingers. She breathed in the cool air, although it felt as if her chest was on fire. _

_She breathed just to smell the forest around her, the crisp pine dancing slowly above, the dew soaking the grass under her head. She could feel a warmth radiating from her stomach and at the same time, an excruciating pain. The blood had already soaked through her thin dress and was beginning to pool around her body. The cut was deep and extended from her left hip all the way up to her right breast. Without a wand, it would be impossible for her to signal for any help. She would just have to lay there and bleed. _

_Soon, she could hear hurried footsteps and muffled shouts echo throughout the woods. Several dim lights had appeared and seemed to be bobbing towards her but still she didn't stir. _

"_Audrey!" She felt herself being scooped up, rough hands gripping her awkwardly, attempting to pull her off of the ground without worsening her injury. "I found her! Hurry!" _

_She looked up into Sirius' tear filled eyes and smiled. Then everything went black. _

"It was Remus," she mumbled, biting her bottom lip. "It wasn't his fault though. It was just after Lily and James died, he was in alot of pain and had forgotten to take his Wolfsbane Potion..."

She looked up to Severus and his dark eyes were still fixed upon her.

"That's when he thought we should separate," she let out a short sniff. "He said he would kill himself if he were to put me through that much pain again. He was convinced that he was no good for me. Then it ended."

"How long had it been before you saw him again?"

"After Sirius went to prison? Fourteen years."

Audrey searched his face for any sign of understanding. She wished she could glance into his own memories, to see if he had ever loved as she had, to see if he had ever felt happiness. But the cold stare he had fixed on her suggested no such thing.

Severus dug into the inside pocket of his robes and pulled out a small silver pocket watch. He eyed it for a few seconds before tucking it away again. "It's time for us to go." he mumbled, pushing himself off of the chair. He crossed the room and stopped in front of a rather small stone fireplace, his robes bellowing behind him. She took a deep breath and walked over to meet him, trying not to give in to the sudden nauseous feeling that was bubbling in her stomach.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Audrey questioned.

"Hold out your hand." he said, scooping up a handful of glittering powder out of a small dish sitting on the mantle. He dumped it into her palm before taking a pinch for himself.

"I assume you've traveled by Floo powder before?" he uttered, that sarcastic tone ringing in his voice once again.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I have."

"Good." he said, tossing his handful of powder into the fireplace. "That's one less thing I have to teach you." With a sudden roar, an intense wall of emerald green flames flashed on the hearth.

Nonchalantly, Severus slid past the grate and into the fire, shouting in a clear, sharp voice, "Malfoy Manor!", and vanished.

For a few moments, Audrey remained where she was, tiny particles of Floo powder sifting through her fingers and onto the carpeted floor. There was no turning back after this. No place to run if she were to fail . She had seen the type of damage a Death Eater could do, and here she was marching right into their own territory.

She thought of Remus, and what he would say if he were to see her right now.

Closing her eyes, she tossed the powder into the fireplace and stepped inside. The smell of hot ash burned into her nostrils. "Malfoy Manor!"

Even though her eyes remained closed, she could still see the whirl of green flames circling around her face. Although trapped between walls of fire, the air around her was icy and crisp.

She fell forward, out of the fireplace, her face landing on a cold stone floor.

"Ow." Twisting her head around, she noticed that once again Severus was staring down at her.

"If there were an award for stumbling, Miss Belmont, I'm positive you would win the cup."

She flashed him a sarcastic smile before pushing herself up onto her feet.

Looking around, she found herself in the middle of an enormous and ornately decorated hall.

Everything seemed to be painted in gold and glimmered in the soft, flickering light of the fireplace.

Rich tapestries covered the thick stone walls while luscious fur rugs had settled underneath ornate divans and chairs. It was beautiful, and certainly didn't seem like a meeting place for the Death Eaters.

"Where are we again?" she breathed, her eyes still taking in her surroundings. "Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes," Severus replied, gently taking her by the elbow and leading her slowly through the hall.

"This residence belongs to a Mister Lucius Malfoy. Pureblood, impossibly well off and one of the most egotistical men I have ever had the displeasure to know."

Audrey couldn't help but chuckle at this. "Well, he sounds like my kind of guy."

Suddenly, Severus spun her around until she was face to face with him. He clutched onto her shoulders firmly, his brows furrowed. "Audrey..."

Her eyes widened in surprise, this was the first time since their meeting that he had actually called her by her first name.

"I cannot stress any more the severity of what you are about to put yourself through," he pulled her in a bit closer, his voice barely a whisper, "These people, they will not hesitate to kill you should you in any way make them think you are not worthy of their company." He glanced over to a darkened hallway, making sure they weren't being watched and then looked back to her. "You must remember to show no signs of weakness, no vulnerability. You are brought here under my recommendation so any form of disloyalty puts the both of us in danger."

Staring straight into his onyx eyes, she nodded her head in understanding and they continued on through the hall. The further they advanced, the darker it seemed to get, until eventually they were shrouded in darkness.

Audrey felt a tightening on her elbow and realized that Severus was still holding on to it.

They turned a corner, proceeding through the pitch-black, until eventually Audrey could make out a soft beam of light shooting out from underneath a door in front of them.

Neither of them moved for a few moments, but continued to stare blankly at the door.

'Snape couldn't possibly be afraid, could he?' Audrey thought to herself. It was an impossible thought. His face and manner gave nothing away, he was as cold and unmoving as stone.

After a few more seconds, Severus silently cleared his throat and moved forward, still grasping onto Audrey's arm.

"Remember what I told you." he whispered. She searched up to see his face, but the darkness of the corridor shrouded everything in front of her. She turned back and kept her eyes focused on the slit of light shining at the base of the door.

Once they reached the end of the hall, Severus released her arm and tapped sharply on the heavy oak door. It was an odd knock, rhythmic, like some sort of secret code.

After a few moments, various shuffling and murmurs could be heard on the other side of the door.

The door clicked open slowly and a weedy-looking face popped its way out of the small crack.

"Ah, Snape." he wheezed, opening the door to allow him to enter.

"Nott."

"And who is this you've brought along?" said Nott. "The Dark Lord doesn't allow outsiders to enter a Death Eater meeting, Snape."

Severus kept his eyes lowered, his face never changing emotion. "This is the young vampire that the Dark Lord intends to recruit for the war, if you must pry, Nott." He hissed the last few words, making both Nott and Audrey uneasy. She didn't let it show, however, but kept a look of disgust plastered on her face.

Nott glanced momentarily at Audrey and then moved aside to allow them into the room.

Severus brushed past, his cloak nearly whipping Nott in the face as he passed. Audrey followed closely behind, clasping her hands behind her back to keep them from shaking.

The room was as grand as the hall outside. Candles illuminated priceless oil paintings, ornately carved woodwork and an enormous marble fireplace, also crackling with light.

In front of the fireplace was a long, bare table peppered here and there with white, ghostly faces staring back at them. No, at her. They were ALL staring at her.

"Severus, there." Audrey adjusted her eyes to see who had spoken. A man seated at the end of the table raised himself and pointed to a chair near to where Severus was standing.

A sharp, pointed face poked its way out of a mane of long, platinum blonde hair. His silver eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the dim light, but they sparkled with a sort of vicious luster, a cruel glimmer.

Severus, without a word moved to his allotted spot and sat down, leaving Audrey standing alone.

"And you must be the new vampire." the man cooed, moving towards her slowly.

There was no doubt to Audrey that this was Lucius Malfoy, Severus' descriptions had detailed him perfectly. From the silk bow tied in his hair, to the jewel encrusted cane he was now sporting, this was a man used to luxury and getting exactly what he wanted.

He stopped right in front of Audrey and examined her, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were studying an animal. She didn't move, but kept her head held up high and her eyes piercing his own.

"What is your name?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back.

"Audrey Belmont." she snapped back, parting her lips slightly to give him a glimpse of her fangs.

"English?" he asked.

"French." His eyes widened in mock curiosity. "Ah, le pays de lâches."

"Not me, sir." she spat back, fists tightening behind her.

"Well, I shouldn't think so. The Dark Lord would not waste his time with you should you be unworthy of his company."

"And am I?" she asked.

After a few seconds of silence, Lucius spun on his heel and pointed across the table to a small, blond figure near where he had been seated.

"This is Narcissa, my wife." As he introduced her, she gave a small nod of the head.

She was the exact female equivalent of her husband. Her blue eyes accented a razor-sharp face, with a look as if she had been smelling something particularly disgusting.

Lucius continued down the table. "Yaxley, Avery, Crabbe, Gibbon..."

With each name, a silent head bowed in acknowledgement, which Audrey quickly returned.

"...Macnair, Nott and Greyback."

At this last name, Audrey's heart jumped in her throat. She looked over at the man Lucius had pointed to.

To call him a man would be a lie. He was a monster. Thick gray hair matted itself over his head and thick black whiskers jutted out from his cheeks. Yellow eyes glared back at her below bushy eyebrows and a wolfish grin was plastered on his lips, bearing his sharpened teeth.

'So this is the man,' she thought, her skin boiling, 'this is the man who destroyed Remus. The...the monster that tore him apart. Tore him apart body and soul.'

"Now that that is done," Lucius guided her firmly to a seat next to Severus, "you sit here."

Without taking her eyes off of Greyback, she took a seat. Lucius returned to his spot at the end of the table and began to speak.

"Now as you may have heard," he began, brushing a strand of hair from his face, "The Minister's undersecretary has taken a post at Hogwarts this year, teaching the students Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Audrey felt Severus shift slightly in his seat, but kept his eyes firmly set on Lucius.

"This does not place any further pressure on the Dark Lord or his plans, as the Ministry is still oblivious to our existence."

Lucius walked over to the fireplace and looked deeply into the fireplace, as if expecting something to appear. "As for Potter, there are no further explanations as to his so-called dementor attack, but we do know that Dumbledore has taken him to an undisclosed location until school resumes tomorrow."

A small chill ran through Audrey. She had only seen Harry yesterday and these beasts were tracking him like a parcel. Her eyes wandered over to Severus. She needed some reassurance, she needed to know that she wasn't alone. His eyes met hers only for a brief second, but for that second, they seemed softer, almost pleading her to stay strong. And then he shot back to Lucius, as if it had never happened.

"...And where are you currently residing, Belmont?"

Audrey snapped out of her daydreaming and searched, wide-eyed across the table to the stern eyes of Lucius. He had been talking the entire time she was thinking to herself, and she had missed every word.

"Uh..."

"Miss Belmont is currently residing with me, Malfoy, and will remain in my home during my time at Hogwarts this year."

There was a soft snicker around the table as everyone, including Audrey stared at Snape with astonished eyes.

"Is that so?" Lucius muttered, looking curious.

Audrey, despite wanting to pummel Snape at the moment, kept her calm and nodded back to Lucius.

"Well," he continued after a pause, "I believe that is all we needed to discuss for tonight. The Dark Lord has assured me he will be present at our next meeting. We will discuss our plans and prepare to put them into action."

Soon, everyone had risen from the table and began shuffling their way out of the door and back outside into the main hall. Severus had also risen but Audrey had the feeling her legs might give out should she try and attempt the same.

Nevertheless, Severus clutched her by the shoulder and pulled her out of her seat. He kept his hand digging into her shoulder bone and guided her out the door, brushing past Greyback as they went.

Audrey met the werewolf's eyes one last time before being pulled around the corner.

Their black inkiness made her blood boil, her fighting instincts, for the first time in years, ready to come out and mutilate him.

Severus continued on, almost pulling Audrey backwards as he made his way back to the fireplace which they had made their arrival in. Most of the members of the meeting had already gone, so they were left to themselves once again.

"Calm down!" Audrey whispered roughly, ripping herself from Severus' grasp.

His lip seemed to curl around his teeth as he pointed quickly to the empty fireplace, indicating her to get in.

She let out a sigh and climbed in, taking a palmful of powder before she went in.

One last glance at Severus' angry black eyes, and she knew she was in some sort of trouble.

'Well, don't you worry, Mr. Snape, we'll have plenty to talk about when we get home.'

She barked out her destination, and quick as a flash, had disappeared.


End file.
